Feelings Unexpressed
by Jokarin
Summary: (Takes place shortly after "Feelings Unnoticed") As Yui and Kyouko watch their kouhai deal with their new romantic relationship, Ayano finally decides to share her feelings. But will her plan work? KyoukoxYui/AyanoxChitose
1. Chapter 1

The members of Nanamori Middle School's Amusement Club all sat around the table inside their clubroom, three of them watching as their club president was in the midst of telling a story. Akari, Chinatsu and Yui all had slight looks of concern on their faces as Kyouko continued talking about her most recent trip to Akihabara, the otaku holyland of Japan. This wasn't an uncommon thing for the club. Kyouko always tended to be the one to start up conversations or story sharing sessions that ranged from normal to downright weird. Today's story fell somewhere between the two.

"Yep! By the time I finished raiding all the shops I ended up carrying around like seven or eight shopping bags filled with Mirakurun stuff! It was awesome!"

"I'm more surprised that you had enough money on you for that much stuff..." Yui chimed in. She and the others had been spending most of the time just listening to what Kyouko had to say.

"I surprised myself! Though I kinda ended up spending the train fare I needed to get back, too. Heheh."

"Heh? B-But if Kyouko-chan spent her fare then how did she get back home...?" Akari tilted her head in confusion.

"Simple; I walked!"

"ALL THAT WAY?!"

"Yep! My legs felt like pillars of jello when I got home and I had to spend the next day in bed because of it but it was totally worth it!"

Kyouko looked extremely proud of herself about having completed such a feat. Her friends were also impressed, but for all the wrong reasons. Yui sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger. Kyouko may be her best friend, but sometimes her way of thinking tends to lead to moments of rashness.

"Let me know the next time you go to Akiba. That way I can make sure you never do anything like that again..."

"What's the big deal? Walking's good for you! Besides, now my legs feel like they're made of steel!" Kyouko got up and started to flex her legs to prove her point.

"Even steel has its limits."

Kyouko grinned regardless. To her, she was living life to the fullest. Yui obviously didn't share her opinion. Akari giggled awkwardly, a few beads of sweat rolling down her face. There had yet to be a single moment where anything Kyouko said or did didn't surprise her in some way. Chinatsu, being the least impressed of all, simply sighed deeply and shook her head.

"Jeez, senpai. I swear sometimes I just have no clue what goes through your-...Ah!" Chinatsu stopped herself as soon as she noticed the time. Yui tilted her head.

"Chinatsu-chan? What's the matter?"

"I forgot I told my sister I'd be home early today! She wanted me to help her practice for a tea ceremony she'll be a part of in a couple of days..."

Chinatsu quickly got up and made her way to where the girls all kept their bags, picking hers up and slinging it over her shoulder.

"Sorry for leaving so suddenly, but I really should go."

"Ah, Chinatsu-chan! Akari will walk you home!" Akari did exactly as Chinatsu, rushing over to grab her bag as well. Chinatsu blushed slightly.

"Heh?! Y-You don't have to trouble yourself, Akari-chan! R-Really...!"

Akari smiled and shook her head. "It's no trouble at all! Besides, Akari wants to make sure she treats you right. That's what a good girlfriend should do, after all."

Chinatsu blushed even more. Even though she and Akari had been a couple for a few weeks now she was still getting used to everything. Fantasizing about a romantic relationship was so much more different than actually being in one. Akari really did make her feel like a princess in her own special way.

"Nnn...B-But if you do this then you'll be leaving Yui-senpai and Kyouko-senpai alone here..." Yui smiled as she watched her pink-haired friend fidget a bit. Chinatsu and Akari made a surprisingly cute couple.

"Don't worry about us. If we get bored then we can just go to my place. You two go on ahead."

"B-But-...Okay. If you're sure..." Chinatsu took the chance to take Akari's hand once she had readied herself, squeezing it tightly. Akari couldn't help but blush happily. Her aura felt almost as bright as the sun itself. As the two girls made their way to the door, Yui and Kyouko waved them off from the table.

"See you both tomorrow."

"Have a safe triiip."

As they exited the room Yui and Kyouko couldn't help but eavesdrop on them just a tiny bit more. Akari sounded like she was giggling to herself.

"The way you were all flustered back there made you look really cute...China-chan."

"M-Mou, don't call me that where Kyouko-senpai can still hear!...You're the only one who can use that nickname, got it?"

"Ehe, sorry. Akari almost forgot."

Before long the last thing they heard was the door to the front of the clubhouse shutting. Yui leaned back and sighed. Watching her friends act this way was kind of sweet.

"Seeing those two interact nowadays always makes me smile." Kyouko leaned onto the table, looking a bit uninterested.

"They both kinda changed a bit, too."

"Eh? How do you mean?"

"Well Chinatsu-chan hasn't really been clinging all over you lately, has she?"

"Well now that you mention it..." Yui rubbed her right arm. Without Chinatsu constantly fused to it, it didn't feel as strained or sore as it used to. She was pretty thankful for that.

"And as for Akari it's like her presence level is slowly increasing...It's almost unnatural, if you ask me." Kyouko shuddered and gave a surprisingly concerned look. Yui sighed. She knew Kyouko was just poking fun.

"No one asked you. Let's just be happy for them, alright?"

"I am! I'm still just surprised that they hooked up with each other."

"Well it's like that old saying goes:..." Yui leaned onto the table as well and rested her cheek on her hand, gazing through the sliding doors at the small pond outside the clubroom.

"...'Love can be found in the most unlikeliest of places.'"

* * *

As Yui and Kyouko continued lazing, two of their classmates and friends were hard at work sorting stacks of handout sheets they had collected earlier in the school day. As members of Nanamori's Student Council, they made sure to work swiftly and efficiently. Chitose hummed happily to herself as she neatly completed one stack of handouts. Ayano was busy working on two stacks at once, her eyes looking sharp and focused as she made sure she didn't make a single mistake. The main table of the Student Council room was covered in paper piles already, so while Chitose took the furthest empty corner Ayano did her work at the president's desk.

"Ayano-chan, this stack is done. Which pile should I put them with?"

"Huh? Oh, just put them with the ones over here by me. Thanks, Chitose." Ayano didn't bother looking up. The school day had ended a while ago and she wanted to head home, but she also didn't want to leave any work out of fear of it piling up. She figured if she stood focused enough that everything would get done even quicker. Chitose glanced around the table as she moved her stack over to where she was told.

"My my. So much work to do at the end of the day..."

"Comes with being part of the Student Council. Can't be helped, I suppose..."

Chitose smiled in her own carefree way. "Ehehe. I guess it didn't help that writing your confession letter to Toshino-san took up your lunch period too, right?"

Ayano froze and turned a deep shade of red. Busted.

"Wha-...B-Bu-...H-How do you know about that?!"

Chitose couldn't help but giggle at her friend's sudden attitude shift. Ayano was always the easily-flustered type, especially when it came to the subject of her biggest crush.

"I came to the Student Council room during lunch to see if I could help, but when I peeked inside I saw you practicing what you wanted your letter to say instead."

Chitose thought back to earlier in the day, watching as Ayano paced back and forth as she tried to come up with the right words to express her feelings. Her eyes darting back and forth across the floor, her hands clamped together tightly as her thumbs twiddled nervously and a light blush staining her cheeks. Chitose put a finger to her cheek and tilted her head.

"If you ask me, describing Toshino-san as a 'Buckingham Beauty' sounds a lot better than a 'Bolivian Beauty'-" Before Chitose could finish she was quickly met face-first with a rather large textbook, causing her to tumble backwards. When Ayano became embarrassed, she had a bad habit of hitting Chitose with anything she had on hand. In this case her math book was more than enough to do the trick.

"N-N-N-NO ONE'S SUPPOSED TO KNOW ABOUT THAT!"

Chitose soon picked herself up and dusted herself off. Neither she nor Ayano paid any mind to the red mark the textbook left on her forehead. Her usual smile quickly returned to her face.

"Don't worry, Ayano-chan. You know you can trust me. Besides, I think this plan is probably your most straight-forward yet!...Actually, I wonder why you've never tried it before..."

"B-Because of just that!" Ayano quickly turned around to hide her crimson face. She started to play with her fingers, trying to distract herself a bit.

"It's too straight forward! I would have died of embarrassment if I gave this to her before!...But with how things have been going so far..."

"My my...Definitely a last resort if I've ever seen one."

"I-It's not like I have a choice! You know how dense Toshino Kyouko can be whenever I try to convey my feelings to her!"

"To be fair, you do give off mixed signals..." Ayano shot Chitose a dirty look. Comments like that didn't exactly help her situation. Chitose simply glanced to the side, trying to act as innocent as possible. It not like what she pointed out wasn't true.

"Besides, the letter itself is the least of my problems. I want to give it to her in private, but she's always with her friends! It makes it almost impossible!"

Both girls concentrated. Trying to catch Kyouko by herself was no easy feat. If she wasn't hanging around with the rest of the Amusement Club, she was usually always with Yui. It was surprisingly rare to see Kyouko doing anything solo. There just had to be something that would allow her and Ayano to be together without any interruptions. That's when Chitose finally thought of something.

"Cleaning duty! If you were both assigned to be on cleaning duty after class, then you'd have the perfect chance to to be alone with Toshino-san, right?...You and her...together in an empty classroom...Ah!"

Chitose swiftly reached up and removed her glasses, a determined smirk appearing on her face. Her glasses served a dual purpose; Besides helping her sight they also acted as a shield to keep her delusions from running wild. When it came to Ayano and Kyouko, however, a quick trip to fantasyland every once in a while didn't hurt. Chitose's mind quickly conjured up the scene in question, a vision of their empty classroom bathed in orange sunlight coming into focus. Kyouko was hovering over a shy-looking Ayano who was blushing lightly. She had been backed into one of the desks as Kyouko's hand gently brushed against her cheek before slowing reaching down and beginning to undo her uniform. Kyouko smiled seductively.

"_M-Mou, Toshino Kyouko...You're so bold...W-What if someone comes in and sees us like this...?_"

Kyouko placed her finger on Ayano's lips to silence her briefly.

"_Everyone's already gone for the day, my little Ayanyan. It's just you, me and our burning, passionate love for each other._" Kyouko caressed Ayano's cheek as the ponytailed girl responded with a small but cute yelp. Their faces grew close as they were about to kiss, but before Chitose knew it she had reached her limit just as their lips were about to make contact. A spurting fountain of blood erupted from her nose, forcing her head to tilt back. The delusional girl cried out in almost orgasmic-sounding joy, her eyes sparkling brightly as she slowly returned to reality.

"Kyahaaah! So romantic!"

Ayano hadn't been paying attention to her friend's little moment. Instead she had been focusing on her suggestion: Cleaning duty. Chitose had a point. If she and Kyouko were assigned cleaning duty, she'd be able to stall her with extra tasks long enough for the two of them to be left alone together. Then Kyouko'd be all hers without any distractions to get in her way.

"Cleaning duty...That's...That's perfect! Absolutely perfect! Chitose, you're a genius!"

Ayano returned her attention to Chitose, who had put her glasses back on and was just putting a stop to her nosebleed with a tissue. The light-haired girl quickly composed herself once she heard the compliment, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment.

"E-Eheh. I'm glad to be of service." Ayano clenched her fist in determination. This was a foolproof plan. The elusive streak of Toshino Kyouko was finally nearing its end.

"I'll have her right where I want her! Then I can finally tell her everything I've always wanted to! Mmm, I'll go to the faculty office right now and see if I can get everything set up for tomorrow." With that, Ayano quickly made her way out the door and into the hall. She quickly turned to Chitose with a bright smile before dashing off. "Wish me luck!"

Chitose poked out from the door way to wave her off, smiling warmly. Seeing Ayano in a cheerful mood always made her feel warm inside.

"I'll be rooting for you, Ayano-chan."

* * *

"TOSHINO KYOUKO!"

Ayano's booming voice rang throughout the classroom, causing most of her classmates to look over to see what all the commotion was about. The end of the school day was upon them and everyone was packing up to either go home or to attend afterschool activities. Kyouko had just finished packing up her stuff when Ayano approached her.

"Just where do you think you're going, huh?!"

"Eh? Where? To the Amusement Club, like always. C'mon Ayano, you should know that by now."

"Oh no you don't! Unless you've already forgotten, you and I are on cleaning duty today and I am NOT gonna be stuck here cleaning an entire classroom all by myself!"

Kyouko pouted and flopped forward onto her desk. Everything coming out of Ayano's mouth sounded dull and she didn't want to do chores right after having to suffer through school. She wanted to go drink tea, laze around and read manga with her friends.

"But cleaning duty is so booooriiiing..." Kyouko whined. A small vein started throbbing in Ayano's forehead. For a second year middle school student, Kyouko acted a lot more like a grade schooler.

"Cleanliness sets a good example for the underclassmen, you know. Honestly, you need to learn to take responsibility once in a while!" Ayano crossed her arms in a huff to prove her point. Kyouko sighed. With Ayano currently breathing down her neck she didn't exactly have a say in the matter, though even if she did refuse she'd be leaving her friend with a ton of work. Not exactly a nice thing to do.

"Alright alright, I'll help out...S'not like I really have a choice anyway."

"Hmph. That's more like it!" While her face remained stern, inside Ayano was smiling from ear to ear. Everything was going according to plan. All she needed to do now was let a bit of time pass by and then she'll finally have her chance to tell Kyouko how much she loved-

"Hey, if you two are the only ones on cleaning duty today than I don't mind staying and helping out, too."

Ayano paled slightly. In her rush to get Kyouko she forgot one thing; Yui was also in the same class as them. She and Kyouko had been chatting while the latter was packing her bag. Ayano was so focused on her goal that she didn't even notice her. Of all the snags to get caught on this had to be one of the worst. As she continued her internal panic, Kyouko and Yui chatted normally.

"Eh? But what about Akari and Chinatsu-chan?"

"If it's the three of us working then it shouldn't take all that long. Besides, it'll give the two of them some alone time before we get there."

"F-Funami-san, you really don't have to trouble yourself here. B-Besides, it wouldn't be fair to ask you to stay all of a sudden, right?" Ayano tried her best not to sound flustered, but she still managed to stutter some. Maybe trying to assure Yui that her assistance wouldn't be needed will be enough to get her to leave. Yui, however, smiled and waved her hand dismissively.

"Don't worry, it's cool. Besides..." Yui pointed over her shoulder at Kyouko. "If I leave this one here as your only helper, chances are she'll still end up slacking off anyway."

"'This one'? Hey, you're talking about me, aren't you?!" This time it was Kyouko crossing her arms in a huff, puffing out her cheeks in a childish yet cute pout. Yui paid no mind, chuckling to herself.

"I-I see...Uh...I-In that case, thank you for your sacrifice..." As Ayano turned around to get the supplies from one of the closets in the back of the classroom, she couldn't help but clench her fist and grit her teeth. She only completed the first and easiest step of her plan and already things had gotten difficult. Her mind buzzed in annoyance as she tried to formulate a new plan.

"_Grrrrrr...Funami Yuiiii..._"

Chitose had been peeking through the slightly cracked sliding door at the front of the class the entire time, deciding to let Ayano handle things herself this time. She sighed slightly at the situation. This was an unexpected twist for her, as well.

"My my...It seems things are going to become a bit more complicated than I thought..."

* * *

"_Ngh, how am I supposed to give Toshino Kyouko my confession letter with Funami-san here!?_" Ayano had been grumbling to herself ever since she started cleaning, the sounds of her wiping down the blackboard drowning most of it out. She had been trying to think of a quick way to get Yui to leave the room just long enough for her to complete her mission. While she busied herself searching for a solution, Kyouko and Yui busied themselves with their own tasks. Kyouko was quickly growing bored of sweeping up and down the rows of desks.

"Guuuh, this is taking longer than I thought!" She lazily propped herself up using the broom for support. "I bet Akari is already enjoying a cup...no, TWO cups of Chinatsu-chan's tea by now! Before me, even!"

Yui didn't bother looking up from the desk she was wiping down when she replied.

"Akari's her girlfriend now, so it's only natural anyway. Just be patient, focus on finishing your work and you'll get your tea soon, alright?"

"Fiiine..." Kyouko pouted and sighed before going back to sweeping, hoping to get away with sweeping the same spot for a bit. Before everyone went back to focusing on their work though, Ayano walked up to the two. Yui and Kyouko's conversation was enough to distract her from her planning. She looked curious.

"Are Akaza-san and Yoshikawa-san going out or something?" She tilted her head slightly, wondering if she heard right. Yui answered, once again focusing more on what she was doing than what she was saying.

"Yeah, they've been a couple for a little over two weeks now..." Yui suddenly lifted her head to look at Ayano, a slight blush of embarrassment visible on her face accompanied by a nervous chuckle. She probably should have asked Akari and Chinatsu if it was alright to tell the rest of their friends about their relationship before confirming anything...

"Uh...I-I'm guessing they didn't tell anyone like Sakurako-chan or Himawari-chan yet, right? Maybe I shouldn't have said anything, eheh."

"Ehehehe. Smooth one, Yui." Yui shot a look at Kyouko, who simply smirked slyly in return. If there's one thing Kyouko loved, it was exploiting Yui's very rare slip-ups.

"O-Oi, it just felt like it was common knowledge already." Yui scratched the back of her head. "Probably because we were the first to find out about it..."

While she was expected to maybe be a bit surprised or shocked, Ayano didn't really react at all. In fact, she was more interested in things than taken back by them. Sure, she didn't know Akari and Chinatsu as well as she did Yui and Kyouko, but she still considered them friends. Something like them hooking up was an interesting turn of events. Besides, when it came to the subject of love, any insight she could get would most likely be helpful to her.

"Huh...I didn't expect those two to have feelings for each other. I could have sworn Yoshikawa-san liked you, considering how she used to be all over you..."

"Heh. Well those days are done." Yui responded while unconsciously rubbing her arm. This was one change she quickly got used to. "_And not a moment too soon...I don't think my arms would've been able to take any more abuse..._" Ayano was still curious, though.

"And it's not awkward or anything when you're all together?"

"Eh? Why would it be?" This time it was Kyouko's turn to answer as she walked over to join the conversation. "We're all friends, after all. S'not like something like love is going to break us apart or anything." She finished her point with a happy grin.

Ayano thought about that for a moment. It did make sense. Yui, Kyouko and Akari had been been friends since childhood, from what she had been told, and Chinatsu had already become another close friend of theirs, too. It's not surprising that something like dating wouldn't be enough to loosen a tightly-knit group like theirs.

"Huh...I suppose that's a good point to make. Even for you, Toshino Kyouko." Ayano couldn't help but smile. Kyouko may act like an overly-excitable dope sometimes, but she was still a good person at heart.

"Ah, that's the last desk done. Hey, I'm gonna go empty out the water real quick, alright?"

Yui's words suddenly snapped Ayano's mind back to her current goal. Did she say she was...leaving? As in leaving the room? Ayano couldn't believe her luck! This was exactly what she wanted to happen, but she wasn't quite out of the woods just yet. Still, this meant she could continue her plan. She nodded enthusiastically, trying to contain her excitement. Her moment was finally at hand.

"O-Of course! Please, take all the time you need!"

Yui nodded back and exited the room, finally setting the scene. While Kyouko emptied out her dustpan and put everything back in the supply closet, Ayano hurried over to her desk. She stuck her hand inside, a confident look on her face as she reached for her letter...and grasped air. She moved her hand a bit to the right, thinking maybe she may have brushed it to the side by accident...Nothing. She moved to the left, assuming maybe pulling out one of her textbooks may have misplaced it...Still nothing. Ayano froze, her searching becoming more frantic by the second as this dream of hers suddenly turned to a nightmare quicker than a bolt of lightning. "_W-Where is it?! I could have sworn I had it inside my desk this whole time!...Unless..._"

"THE STUDENT COUNCIL ROOM!" Ayano bolted up from her desk, startling Kyouko in the process.

"KYAH!...O-Oi Ayano, what was that all about?!"

"Heh?! O-Oh! Uh...Eheh!" Ayano shuddered nervously, beads of sweat trickling down her face. Cool. She had to play it cool.

"I-I forgot something back in the Student Council Room. I'll just run over really quick and get it before we leave. I-It won't take long!" Without even waiting for a response from Kyouko, she bolted out of the room and down the hall. She had forgotten that she had spent her lunch break once again trying to tidy up her message so her feelings were clear and concise, so she must have forgotten it on the table once the bell rang. Of all the places to slip up it had to be actually having the letter with her. She mentally cursed herself for leaving in such a hurry and leaving it behind. Now she could only hope that she'd be fast enough to get back with it before Yui returned.

Back in the classroom Kyouko had decided to lounge on top of one of the desks until her friends returned. She kicked her legs back and forth while staring out the window, almost as if she was occupied with her own thoughts. It didn't take long before Yui returned, her bucket and sponge now clean and dry. She glanced around the room for a second before realizing they were missing someone.

"Hey, where'd Ayano go?"

"Hmm? Oh, she said she forgot something in the Student Council room, so she went to get whatever it was."

"Ah. Well it looks like you're done cleaning too, so I guess when she gets back we can go."

Yui casually headed to the supply closet to put the bucket and sponge back where she found them as Kyouko continued to gaze out the window. After a few seconds, she decided to ask what seemed like an innocent question.

"Hey, Yui?"

"Hmm?"

"All the talk about Akari and Chinatsu-chan got me curious...How do you think you'll fall in love?"

Yui raised an eyebrow. That seemed like a pretty random thing to ask. Then again, random questions definitely fit Kyouko's style. Paying no real mind to it, she figured she'd just answer honestly.

"Huh? That's a pretty sudden question...I dunno. I'd probably the type of girl to give a confession instead of get one from someone, to be honest."

Kyouko giggled. "Yeah, you are pretty dense when it comes to that kinda stuff."

Yui blushed. That wasn't the reaction she was expecting at all. On the other hand, an answer like that probably should have been expected.

"Oi, I don't need to hear that coming from someone like you."

"You're not denying it thooough." Kyouko retorted with a smirk.

"...H-Hmph."

With a huff and a flushed face, Yui turned to her desk and proceeded to pack her schoolbag with all her homework essentials. She couldn't help but fume a bit. Was she really that easy to read when it came to love? Thinking about it made her feel just as embarrassed as she was annoyed.

"Hey, Yui...?"

What could she want now? Leave it to someone like Kyouko to not know when she may have ruined someone's mood.

"What is it now, Kyouko..."

"...I love you."

Yui dropped her last book into her bag. Speechlessness was the only word to describe how she felt right now. Was Kyouko joking? She had used the "I love you" excuse to try to get out of things or to get help with homework before, but this time felt different. She sounded almost...sincere. She turned around. Surely Kyouko was wearing a silly grin right now, proud of herself for pulling off another successful prank. Yui and Kyouko's eyes met. She could see a small blush on her cheeks and a warm smile took residence on her face. Nothing about her said "Haha! Gotcha!"

She was serious.

"...Heh?!"

Neither girl realized that right outside of the classroom stood Ayano. She was frozen in place, skin as pale as a ghost and a look of almost pure fear on her face. She had heard everything. Her right hand was gripping the door's handle tightly, her left clutching her precious confession letter. She was shuddering. This nightmare had just become real.

"...H-Heh?"


	2. Chapter 2

"C-Come on Kyouko, joking about stuff like this isn't cool, y'know?"

Kyouko's brow furrowed a bit as she frowned. If her sincere expression a moment ago didn't already convince Yui about how serious she was, her look now definitely would have. When Kyouko was serious about something, she definitely meant it and Yui knew that well. She stumbled back a bit, leaning against the desk behind her as she tried to think of something to say. Her mind was still buzzing after being dealt such a sudden bombshell of a blow.

"So...if this is all true, then how long have you l-...l-loved me?"

"How long?" Kyouko glanced upwards at the ceiling, trying to think. "Since we were kids, I guess. I mean you were always watching over me and protecting me, so it was only a matter of time until I ended up falling for you, right?"

"Since we were kids..." Yui held her forehead. It actually made some sense to her. She, Kyouko and Akari had all been together since they were small. Back then Kyouko was much different from how she was now. She was shy, timid and easily frightened, always looking up to Yui and her bravery. It was that bond that kept them together all this time.

"Why didn't you say anything until now though...?"

Kyouko became a bit more nervous. She knew her answer might sound a bit mushier than one would probably expect. "I wanted to wait until we were a bit older...Y'know, like when we reached high school. I mean...I knew we'd still be together by then, so I figured I didn't have to worry much or rush things..."

"I see..." Kyouko had a point. Chances are when they had to choose a high school to enroll in, they'd both go for the same one. They've been in the same school since their elementary days, so why would things change. Kyouko continued.

"But after seeing how things went for Akari and Chinatsu-chan...I dunno, I started wondering if I had waited long enough or not. Even thought they're a couple now, things still feel normal between the four of us. So if it worked for them...why not us, right?"

Yui stood silent, opting to just take in what Kyouko had to say. Her eyes were closed, so she didn't notice Kyouko watching her. The blonde girl looked concerned. Maybe she had sprung all this on Yui a bit too suddenly. She had thought that lightening the mood a bit beforehand would have softened everything, but it didn't seem the case. She smiled awkwardly, looking down at her feet. She was sure she had screwed things up.

"Eheh...Guess I turned things a bit weird now, didn't I?"

Yui stood up after a few more seconds. She picked up her bag and walked up to Kyouko. Her face was serious, but at the same time it had a gentle feel to it. "Kyouko..."

"H-Huh?"

"We'll leave the clubroom to Akari and Chinatsu-chan today. For now, let's go to my place. We can talk more there."

"Eh? But what about Ayano?"

That's right. The sudden turn of events made Yui forget that the whole reason they were still here was to help Ayano, who still hadn't returned from her trip to the Student Council room. She couldn't have gone home, her stuff was still at her desk. What could be taking her?

"Gah, that's right. I forgot about her...Listen, we'll just tell her tomorrow that something urgent came up and we had to leave before her. I'm sure she'll understand."

"Well...alright." Kyouko nodded as she stood up, picking her bag up from the hook on the side of her desk. Yui quickly took her by the hand and quickly lead her out of the classroom's back entrance and down the hall towards the stairs. However, neither of them noticed the person still standing outside of the room's front entrance this entire time. Ayano watched as the two girls disappeared around a corner, off to Yui's apartment just as planned. She took a few small steps back before slowly making her way back to the Student Council room. Her eyes never left the floor as she stared down at her shuffling feet and the changing tiles as she continued on. She felt empty inside. Her heart had been violently shattered thanks to a conversation she was never intended to hear.

"T-This...This can't be happening..." She shook her head slightly. Her ability to comprehend had been nullified by all of this. She had been trying for what felt like forever to work up the courage to tell Kyouko everything. To see the best chance she had not only slip from her fingers but to also have the door completely shut on her in the process...it was almost too much to bear at once.

"Why?...I had it this time...I was finally going to tell Toshino Kyouko everything I've always wanted to tell her...s-so...why did this have to happen now...?"

Before long Ayano found herself inside the Student Council room once more. She walked over to the closest seat, sitting down carefully. She slowly curled her arms inward, burying her face inside. She just wanted to disappear from everything.

"This isn't fair..."

Time passed as the day went later into the evening. Chitose cheerfully walked down the long-empty Nanamori hallways. She had gone back to the classroom to check on how things were going, but was surprised to find it empty. She wanted to know if Ayano's plan worked out, but it seemed that she'd have to wait until tomorrow to find out. For now she figured she'd maybe get a bit of work done before going home herself. There were a few student files that still needed to be organized, after all. As she approached the Student Council room, she noticed something was a bit off; The door was ajar. Last she was there, which was around lunch period, she remembered closing it fully.

"That's strange...I wonder if someone went in for something. Matsumoto-san, perhaps."

Being slightly cautious, she peeked inside to make sure everything was alright. What she was met with, though, was almost enough to break her heart on the spot. Ayano laid there, fast asleep. A somewhat pained look on her face. Chitose entered the room, wanting to get a closer look.

"Ayano-chan..." Ayano's eyes looked puffy and a bit red. Looking closer, Chitose saw the remnants of tears staining her cheeks. Underneath her left hand was her letter, slightly crumpled from before. It appeared that she had gone through a lot in such a short amount of time. Chitose looked concerned. She had no idea what could have happened.

"My my..." Chitose pulled a chair up next to Ayano as silently as possible, trying not to wake her as she sat beside her. She decided that if Ayano could use anything once she woke up, it would probably be the shoulder of someone close to her to cry on. She pet her head gently, trying to comfort her as best she could for the time being.

"Everything will be alright, Ayano-chan...don't worry..."

* * *

Kyouko sat somewhat nervously at the table in Yui's apartment. She had been here plenty of times. Heck, both her and Yui considered it her second home with how much time she'd spent eating, sleeping and playing here. However, being here now felt slightly off. It felt almost as if the awkward atmosphere from back at school had followed the girls the whole way here. Yui said they'd be able to talk more here, but neither girl had said a word to each other since leaving school. Then again what could either of them say that wouldn't sound forced.

It wasn't long before Yui joined her, carrying two cups of warm tea. Tea was a soothing and calming drink, perfect for a situation like this. At least that's how Yui saw it. She carefully placed the cup in front of Kyouko before sitting down on the opposite side of the table.

"Thanks, Yui..."

"Mmm...No problem..."

More silence. Neither girl looked that the other, quietly sitting and sipping their tea. The awkwardness was no-doubt increasing by the second. Thankfully before the deafening silence became too much for either to bare, Yui spoke up.

"Hey, Kyouko?...What exactly do you like about me?"

"Hmm?" Kyouko looked up from her cup. "Well...you have all the games I can play and all the manga I can read, you always help me out with my homework...OH! And you feed me when I'm hungry!"

A comical sweatdrop appeared on the side of Yui's head. She knew on the spot that wasn't what Kyouko's real answer was. She didn't think Kyouko would still be able to joke around, given the situation. Obviously she'd been proven wrong.

"I'm serious, you know..."

"Eheh...sorry. Was just trying to make things a bit less awkward." Kyouko smiled and rubbed her head. Yui couldn't help but smile back. Something about Kyouko acting a bit more like herself made her feel a little relieved.

"We can worry about all that later. Right now, could you give me your real answer?...I-I'm actually kind of curious."

She turned the other way, scratching her cheek lightly. Asking a question like that was a bit embarrassing for her. Kyouko knew this, too. Though seeing as she was the one to confess she should have expected Yui to want to know more about it, expecially if a situation like this involved someone like her. While Yui didn't exactly show it, she did tend to be a bit self-conscious at times.

" I guess you can say I'm in the same boat Chinatsu-chan was when she was all over you. You're smart, you're mature, you're kind...and you're attractive, too..." The last part caused Yui to turn red.

"A-Attractive?!...J-Jeez, I don't think anyone other than Chinatsu-chan has told me that before..."

"What, you don't believe it?"

"Well I always thought the word to describe someone like me was...y'know...tomboyish."

Kyouko pouted. "Just cause you're kinda tomboyish doesn't mean you aren't beautiful, Yui."

Yui reddened even more. All of the romantic praise she was getting was proving to be too much for her to handle. When Chinatsu did it before she could just shake it off easily but hearing Kyouko say this kind of stuff with such a calm and sincere tone made her entire body feel warm.

"O-Oi, could you quit it with the compliments? I still don't know how to respond to them yet..."

"Hehe. It's not like I can help it now that I've told you everything." Kyouko grinned, sipping some more tea. Yui was still finding it hard to believe how lax Kyouko had been this entire time. Other than a few moments of awkward silence, she'd pretty much been acting normally ever since her confession. Realizing this didn't exactly help Yui's curiosity.

"I'm amazed at how laid back you're being considering everything that's happened, honestly..."

Kyouko tilted her head in thought for a second. "Well...it's probably because I'm so sure of my feelings. I don't doubt my love for you a bit, so why should I worry about it when I'm so certain, y'know?"

Yui watched as her best friend shrugged and continued enjoying her drink. Kyouko had definitely changed a great deal since they were young. The once fragile and timid girl she used to look out for when they were kids was now sitting before her, a confident and care-free middle schooler.

"_Living care-free is Kyouko's style...but even so it's weird being the only one here feeling awkward about this still. If we were kids, she'd probably be shaking and tearing up right now just thinking about all of this...She really has matured more than I thought..._"

Yui smiled again before moving over to Kyouko's side of the table, sitting close to her before reaching over and starting to gently pet her head. Kyouko was confused. It felt nice without a doubt, but it was pretty sudden.

"Yui...?"

"Heh...You may be a pain to deal with sometimes, but I guess you really have grown up in your own way, haven't you."

Kyouko blushed. She never really thought of something like that. "Eheh...I guess so..."

"Mmm...Listen Kyouko..." Yui's face grew slightly serious. "I need time to think things over. All of this is still pretty heavy on me and I'd rather not give you an answer that I'm not sure about myself...So will you be okay with waiting just a bit longer?"

Kyouko stared for a few seconds before quickly nodding. "Y-Yeah...Yeah! I mean it's not like you said no or anything, right? That means I've still got a chance!"

The grin on her face caused Yui to sigh in relief. It felt as if a good amount of the weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She could finally breathe easy for now. In fact all of this heart-to-heart talk had given her a bit of an appetite. Plus if there's one thing Kyouko was always up for, it was her cooking. She pet her head a bit more before finally standing up.

"How does lightening the mood with some omelette rice sound?"

Kyouko instantly lit up. "You had me at 'food'!"

"...I didn't say 'food', though."

"Saying 'omelette rice' counts as saying 'food', Yui-nyan." Kyouko wagged her finger to emphasise her point. Yui chuckled. Things were already feeling mostly back to normal. Still, she didn't want to keep Kyouko waiting for a final answer too long. Like it or not, the possibility of a relationship was still going to be occupying her mind for another few days at least.

* * *

The Student Council's room was buzzing with activity as three of its members were busy going through the day's printouts. This time it was Chitose who had taken a seat at the president's desk as she quietly checked through the stack of papers she had collected from her class. Sitting at the table in front of her were her two fellow members and underclassmen, Sakurako and Himawari. Both girls were going through their own printout stacks despite the fact that they were both in the same class. While it probably would have been more efficent for them to tackle their work together, that was hardly ever an available option for them. The duo was usually too busy being at each others' throats or turning even the smallest tasks into competitions fit for the fiercest of rivals. The fact that they've been friends since they were little hardly played into things when they got heated. While Himawari focused on her work, Sakurako was busy scowling and glaring at both her and her paper stack.

"Grrrr...Himawari! Why do you have more handouts than me?! You're trying to get on the president's good side, aren't you?! I can see right through your plans!"

Himawari gave an annoyed sigh. Out of the two of them, she was the one who tried the most to avoid confrontation. Still, when Sakurako decided to spark something it didn't take her long to ignite and fire back.

"First of all, Sakurako, Matsumoto-senpai isn't even here. If I wanted to impress her, I wouldn't even have the chance to right now. Second of all, it's not my fault that someone was asleep at her desk when it was time for us to collect everyone's' handouts. You only have yours because you were lucky enough to wake up before I finished going around."

"It's YOUR fault I fell asleep! Those boobs of yours jiggle around so much that their hypnotic bouncing made me doze off!" A visible vein popped up on Himawari's forehead. Every time they argued, Sakurako always used her sizable chest to make fun of her or insult her. It was getting extremely tiring and angering having to be called a "Booby Monster" almost every day.

"I swear, sometimes I wish I were flat-chested just so you would shut up..."

"I wish you were flat-chested, too! That way you'd stop offending everyone around you with your giant melons!"

"Ugh! Sakurako!" Himawari slammed her fist on the table as both girls locked themselves in a glare battle. The electricity between them was almost visible. This went on for almost a minute before Chitose swiftly intervined.

"Now now, this can be solved easily. Why not combine your handouts and then each take half of it? You'll both be on equal grounds then, right? I'm sure that's what Ayano-chan would suggest."

Himawari's gaze was the first to stop. Even though she put on a mature and level-headed demeanor, she couldn't help but huff a bit. Having to compromise with Sakurako this was wasn't exactly how she would have liked things to go, but as members of the Student Council, she had to go with it. At least to show that she was definitely council material.

"Fine then. I suppose doing it that way will help get the work done a bit quicker anyway."

"HAHA! Sakurako: One, Booby Demon: Zero!" Obviously Sakurako didn't care about how she came off if it meant a personal victory over her rival of a best friend. Chitose just smiled as Himawari shot her a nasty look.

"Hmph...Speaking of Sugiura-senpai, why didn't she come to school today? Is she ill?"

Chitose jumped slightly at being asked that question. In all fairness she probably should have expected it at some point, but at the same time she knew she'd have to lie whenever she answered. She tried to keep her smile on as best she could, trying to avoid worrying anyone.

"A-Ah, well...you could say that. I'm planning to visit her after school to make sure it's nothing to serious."

Sakurako perked up at this. "Hey hey! Why don't we all go see the vice-prez? That'll be fun!" Himawari nodded, a bit surprised that she was actually on the same side as her. "Hmm...For once I agree. I'm sure she'd appreciate the company."

Chitose tensed up a bit. a large group for company was definitely not something Ayano would like at a time like this. She instinctively interjected before quickly recomposing herself, trying not to make the her two kouhai suspicious or worried.

"N-Nonono, you don't have to-!...I-I mean...It wouldn't be ideal if the entire Student Council got sick as a result, right? Just leave it to me." Himawari was still concerned about Ayano, but Chitose did have a point. Better one person goes to represent them all than everyone risk themselves. Sakurako, however, wasn't as understanding.

"I suppose you're right...Well, at least give her our regards when you go."

"Awwww! Would getting sick really be all that bad? We could miss school which means no homework!" Himawari was utterly baffled at her way of thinking.

"You'd honestly risk your own health just so you could be excused from doing homework for a day?!"

"Of course I would! What kinda stupid question is that?!"

Chitose smiled in relief as her two friends went back to bickering with one another, but worry still clouded her mind. When she parted ways with Ayano the day before she looked nothing like she usually did. She looked empty. Almost lifeless in a way. That alone caused Chitose to feel a great deal of concern for her best friend.

"_I feel bad having to lie to Furutani-san and Oomuro-san like this...but this is something only I can do..._"

Ayano's room was quiet and dark. The lights were off and the blinds were closed. At first glance it would have seemed as if no one was even there to begin with, but that was until you glanced at her bed. Ayano lied there, completely covered and unmoving. She wasn't sleeping, her eyes open and staring at the wall next to her bed. In her mind, this was the closest she'd get to completely disappearing. She sighed to herself sadly. Another day or two away from everyone was sounding like a good idea...


	3. Chapter 3

The sound of shifting gravel and dirt echoed through the trees and bushes as Kyouko and Yui made their way to the Amusement Club's house. After a long school day, a cup of Chinatsu's delicious tea was exactly what they were looking forward to. Kyouko marched happily in front while Yui followed behind, looking to be deep in thought. Ever meeting back up with each other on the way to school, things have felt somewhat off to her. Being around each other made her feel tense, as if she was expecting Kyouko to say or do something in regards to the previous day's events. Kyouko, however, acted like her usual cheerful self. It was as if nothing had happened. The girl Yui had talked to the day before was nowhere to be found.

She didn't exactly realize it, but she had been staring at Kyouko the entire walk over. "_It hasn't even been a day since Kyouko's confession and she's already back to acting like her usual self while the thought of it still won't leave my head...Is she really not worried about it at all?_"

Yui continued fretting all the way into the clubhouse's entranceway. Kyouko gripped the handle to the sliding door leading to the main room, forcefully flinging it open and immediately moving on to loudly announcing her and Yui's arrival.

"AKARI! CHINATSU-CHAN! WE HAVE ARRI-...Ohoho? What do we have here?"

Yui leaned over Kyouko's shoulder to see what she was talking about. "Huh? What's the matter-...Oooh. I see."

Sitting before the pair were Akari and Chinatsu, both occupying the same side of the table and mere centimeters away from each others' faces. It seemed as if the still-budding couple tried to use the short amount of alone time they had to attempt their first sincere kiss. Unfortunately for them Kyouko and Yui were fast walkers. Both of the younger girls' faces turned bright red, completely frozen in place due to sheer embarrassment. Kyouko snickered. This moment was priceless.

"Oh no no! Don't let us disturb your little moment! I wanna see what Akari looks like when she's kissing someone!"

Akari's face was as red as a tomato as she quickly turned away from Chinatsu and sat in a more formal position. Chinatsu, on the other hand, did what she does best in a situation like this; Flail and yell. "M-MOU, KYOUKO-SENPAI! DON'T YOU KNOW HOW TO KNOCK BEFORE ENTERING A ROOM?!"

Kyouko simply smirked. Moments like these were exactly why she loved being in the Amusement Club. The opportunity to poke a little fun was too much for her to resist. "We've never had to knock before now, have we? Besides, if I did knock I would have missed out on your and Akari's lovey-dovey time, hehehe-AGH!"

A strong bop to the back of the head put Kyouko's teasing to a ubrupt end, courtesy of Yui.

"Someone in your kind of position has no right to make fun of-!...Ah...I-I mean...Ugh, you know what I mean." Yui's face flushed slightly when she realized she almost spilled the beans about what she and Kyouko were dealing with. She grabbed the still-grinning Kyouko by the collar and dragged her over to the table, where they both seated themselves across from their friends. Chinatsu noticed right away that something was up, completely forgetting about being angry at Kyouko just mere moments ago.

"Position? What did you mean by that, Senpai?" She eyed Kyouko suspiciously. "Kyouko-senpai didn't do anything bad, did she?"

"Eeeh? How insulting! I would never!" Kyouko exaggerated her pout for emphasis. Yui quickly tried to think up a natural-sounding answer but couldn't exactly come up with anything on the spot, instead trying to casually defuse the question.

"It's nothing serious, Chinatsu-chan. Heh..Don't worry yourself about it, alright?" She smiled, hoping that'd be enough to quell Chinatsu's curiosity. Yui was at least thankful that Akari hadn't decided to question anything, either. The red-haired girl was still too busy being flustered and embarrassed to pay attention to what was going on.

"Like Yui said, it's no big deal. Trust us." Kyouko tried to smile the same way Yui did, but all it did was make her seem even more suspicious. Chinatsu's curious gaze kept lock onto Kyouko for a few more seconds before she decided to let it go...for now, anyway. "Well...If Yui-senpai says it's nothing, then I guess it's fine." With that, Chinatsu turned her attention to her still-paralyzed girlfriend and started shaking her gently to bring her back to her senses. While she did that, Kyouko leaned over and started whispering to Yui.

"Nice save, don'tcha think?"

"Yeah, right. You couldn't have made things seem any more obvious."

"I wasn't the one who almost let the cat out of the bag thooough."

"Hmph...It's not like something like this is easy to keep secret, you know..."

"Speaking of secrets, it looks like we weren't able to catch Ayano today were we?"

"Chitose said she was out with a cold..." Yui glanced up to the ceiling, slightly concerned about her classmate and friend.

"...I hope it's nothing too bad."

* * *

Chitose knocked lightly on Ayano's bedroom door and waited. No one answered. She did so again. Again, there was silence. Ayano's mother had told her she had been in bed all day, so she knew she was in there. She decided to speak up on her third attempt, hoping the voice of a friend would help.

"Ayano-chan? Are you awake?"

No one answered.

"Ayano-chan...Please say something..."

"...Go away." Although it was a soft response, Chitose could still hear the depression in Ayano's voice. She frowned. She knew she needed to talk to her.

"But I want to help you...Please?" Ayano refused to answer once again. As Chitose tried to think of what to do next, she glanced down at the doorknob. If she wanted to see her, she'd probably just have to enter on her own. Hopefully the door wasn't locked. She reached down and twisted the knob, sighing in relief as it turned completely. She quietly opened the door and entered Ayano's dark room. She had been in it plenty of times, but this was the first time she felt somewhat uncomfortable being there.

"My my...It's not good to stay cooped up in your room like this."

"I could care less..." Ayano refused to turn over from her position on the bed to look at her friend. Chitose took a few steps forward, wanting to approach her gently.

"Ayano-chan...You don't plan to hide away from everyone like this forever, do you? Everyone will worry about you..." Chitose took a few more steps.

"I'm sick and have to take an extended leave from school. That's my excuse."

One more step and she was standing before Ayano's bedside. "It's not good to lie, you know..."

"IT'S NOT A LIE!" Right as Chitose was about to reach out, Ayano violently sat up. Her outburst caused her friend to stumble back a step or two. She wore a mixture of pain and anger on her face. She wasn't done with her rant just yet.

"I feel horrible! It's difficult for me to sleep! My stomach's in a knot! My legs feel weak when I try getting up...and every time I try to take my mind off of things...I-I can't stop myself from crying..."

Chitose stood silent as she listened. She knew Ayano felt terrible after yesterday, but seeing her like this was almost too much for her to handle.

"See? I'm an utter mess! I can't go to school like this! I WON'T go to school like this! I...I-I can't face Toshino Kyouko ever again..." Her last remark caused Chitose to go wide-eyed and finally attempt a response.

"Heh? Y-You're just going to give up entirely?!"

"What other choice do I have?!...She loves Funami-san. I-I can't face someone I've been in love with for so long and never ended up confessing to...It would be too painful..." Ayano balled up her fist on her lap, keeping her eyes affixed to it as her expression changed from pain and anger to sadness. Chitose stood there, waiting for her friend to continue venting her negative emotions.

"You don't know how it felt, Chitose...I was always too nervous to follow through on any chance I had to get closer to her...So to finally feel confident enough to put all of my feelings down on paper and actually give it to her only to hear her confess to someone else...I-It hurts..."

Her fist tightened as teardrops fell from her face onto the back of her hand. Ayano gritted her teeth. Crying like this in front of her closest friend, looking helpless and sounding weak...She could just die right on the spot. Anything to just make the world go away. As she stared blurrily at her fist through her tears, she saw Chitose's hand gently grasp hers. She looked up at her friend, who wore a calm and almost soothing smile.

"Tomorrow's Saturday. Why don't we go out and do something fun?"

"Heh? B-But I can't! I'm...I-I'm..."

"Ayano-chan, I don't like seeing you so depressed like this...Please let me help? I want to see you smile again, even if it's just a little bit...Is that okay?"

Ayano sighed. She didn't want to keep worrying her friend like this. If it were to just put her mind at ease then going out with her at least once probably wouldn't hurt, though how responsive she'd be wasn't exactly something she could say at the moment. She looked back up at Chitose, trying her best to smile.

"Fine, you win...but don't expect any stellar results just from one day..."

"Eheh...Getting you to agree to it is good enough for me." With a gentle brush of the back of her finger Chitose brushed away a few of the stray tears still on Ayano's cheeks. She was determined to help Ayano smile again.

"For now, how about I make us some tea? I'm sure that will help things, too."

Ayano nodded sheepishly. A warm cup of tea sounded pretty pleasurable. Chitose simply smiled back as she exited the room, closing the door behind her. Before she could make her way to Ayano's kitchen, however, she was suddenly struck by slight curiosity.

"Ayano-chan's depressed because Toshino-san loves Funami-san...I wonder..."

Chitose reached up and carefully removed her glasses. She waited...and waited...and waited a bit more. Nothing. No fantasies, no delusions, no nosebleeds. The only thing Chitose saw was a slightly blurrier version of Ayano's hallway. Chitose's eyes widened in disbelief as she let out a surprised and audible yelp.

Ayano called out to her from her room. "Chitose? I-Is everything alright?"

"Eh?! O-Oh, uh...Yes! Of course, eheheh. I-I just...tripped! Nothing to worry about!"

Mentally, Chitose was panicking. This had never exactly happened to her before.

"_I'm not fantasizing...I-I'm not fantasizing! I-It's probably because of what happened with Toshino-san and Ayano-chan! It must be!_"

Ayano's depression and Kyouko's love of Yui. Those had to be the factors behind her missing delusions. Chitose pondered for a solution as she made her way downstairs to Ayano's kitchen. Fixing this problem wouldn't be easy. It wasn't like she could make Kyouko love Ayano instead of Yui. Not only was something like that not possible, but even if it were it wasn't exactly an option any person with a conscience would consider. The only thing she could do at the moment was try and improve Ayano's mood.

"Right now, Ayano-chan's happiness comes first...A-And if I'm lucky helping Ayano-chan will fix me, too!" Chitose clenched her fist, a shimmering gleam in her eye.

"Yes! I'll make sure Ayano-chan's the happiest she's ever been!"


	4. Chapter 4

The early morning sun peeked through the windows of Yui's apartment. It was Saturday, the perfect day for someone to sleep in. Not Yui, though. She was already awake, staring through one of the ceiling's skylights from her futon. She just wasn't able to sleep all that well the past couple of nights. Her mind was too busy thinking about one thing: Kyouko. Since straightening things out with her after she confessed, she couldn't help dwelling on things still. It was as if Kyouko's confession had slowly changed her.

Yui sighed as thoughts of the previous school day lingered in her mind. Kyouko was acting no different than she usually did. Despite what she set in motion, she still acted like the fun-loving and goofy girl that everyone knew her as. Her bright personality, her glistening blue eyes, her shining smile...

A blush appeared on Yui's cheeks as she felt a tingle in her chest. She had never reacted this way when it came to Kyouko! Her body tensed up, clenching her fingers and toes in embarrassment even though there wasn't a single person around to witness it. What was going on with her? Thinking about her friend was making her feel funny. He cheeks would flush, she'd feel a bit weaker as her body would feel all fuzzy, she'd stutter a bit more...it made no sense to her. Unless...

"_Is this...what love is supposed to feel like?_"

She placed a hand on her chest. The thumping of her heart felt slightly faster than it normally did. This just made her feel even weirder. She couldn't help but think of Akari and Chinatsu. Is this how they felt when they first got together? Yui groaned and covered her face, turning over to the side in the process. She felt confused and unsure. She may be considered the Amusement Club's most responsible and mature member, but not even she could stand up to the strange powers of love so easily.

"What should I do...It's not like this is some kind of passing phase..." She curled up a bit, a look of concern on her face. Perhaps it was time she and Kyouko have a serious talk.

As time progressed closer to the afternoon, Chitose found her happily making her way back to Ayano's house. Today was going to be an entire day spent out with Ayano, just as she'd promised. She was going to try her best to get her to smile again and hopefully regain her delusional abilities in the process. After returning home from Ayano's the previous night she tested herself to see if the current state of things really was the cause of her problem. She quickly got her answer when not even a picture of Ayano and Kyouko together was enough to cause even the slightest nosebleed.

"I'm sure once Ayano-chan starts feeling better, everything will go back to normal...Though with Toshino-san in love with someone else, I wonder if it would still be alright..." Chitose tapped her chin as she thought about it, before long arriving at her destination. After ringing her doorbell, Chitose patiently waited for Ayano to come out. She figured it might take a little longer for Ayano to answer this time around, given her current situation. After a couple of minutes, though, Ayano finally emerged from her home. She wore her favorite blouse coupled with her light blue dress shirt, the sleeves folded up to her elbows. Chitose remembered this outfit from when the two of them first went to Comiket with Kyouko and Yui. She always did think it looked cute on her.

Ayano fidgeted slightly. "W-Well?...Do I look okay?"

"I think you look wonderful, Ayano-chan. Are you all ready to go?" Chitose smiled. She knew Ayano was trying her best. Ayano nodded, turning around and locking the door before hoisting her bag up over her shoulder. Chitose stood close to her as they began their journey into town, thinking of what they should do together that could be relaxing or fun. Perhaps some conversation could start lightening her mood.

"This'll be fun. We can take a look around the shopping district and have lunch around there, too. Oh! And isn't the arcade in that area as well? We can play there!" Chitose beamed. She was rather proud that she came up with a plan right on the spot like that. Ayano wasn't as enthusiastic. Still, she managed to put on a small smile. "Yeah. I guess that's a pretty sound plan."

Even though Chitose smiled back, she could tell Ayano wasn't feeling at one hundred percent. Her face said everything. Ayano's eyes stuck to the path before her, her face solemn and glum. Hearing Kyouko's confession had obviously struck her right down to the core. Chitose was in for an uphill battle. After spending a minute trying to think of a way to reassure her friend, Chitose reached over.

"Chitose?...What are you-..." Ayano watched as Chitose took a hold of her hand, her grasp firm and tight. She looked up to see her smiling kindly at her, almost as if she were silently saying "Don't worry. I'm here for you for as long as you need." Ayano felt a little bit of her sadness lift, her face becoming just a tiny bit brighter. It was a tiny improvement, but easily noticeable. The two continued their journey into town hand in hand, Chitose feeling a bit more determined than before.

"_Don't worry Ayano-chan. I'll do whatever I can to make you happy again. I promise._"


	5. Chapter 5

The day had been going smoothly so far. Chitose and Ayano had been hanging out together since the beginning of the afternoon and so far they've explored all throughout the shopping district, caught the latest Mirakurun movie and played around at the nearby arcade. Now the two were currently seated in a family restaurant, having decided to grab a bite to eat before ending their outing. Chitose took a moment to look over at Ayano, who was staring out the restaurant's front window. She still looked slightly depressed, which made Chitose feel as if she had kind of failed in trying to make her happy. She remembered Ayano looking genuinely curious about some clothes when they were window shopping, how she got a bit competitive when they were playing a fighting game at the arcade and how invested she was during the final showdown between Mirakurun and Team GigaGiga at the theater...but it just wasn't enough to get he back to acting like her usual, energetic and slightly spazzy self.

Chitose worried to herself silently. "_Everything I thought of just didn't work in the end. I'm almost fresh out of ideas..._"

Ayano sighed and rested her cheek on her hand. What Chitose didn't know was that the depression from hearing Kyouko's confession wasn't the only thing bothering her. "_Nothing's working...I'm trying to have fun but it's like there's still a weight stuck inside my chest...Ugh, why do things have to turn out this way...?_"

After a few more minutes of silence, the waitress arrived with their orders. She places a plate of hamburg steak with a side of sauteed vegetables in front of Ayano and for Chitose a plate of Italian-style spaghetti with meatballs. The girls refocused as the scent of the fresh food filled their noses.

"Ah, perfect timing! I was really starting to feel peckish." Chitose smiled as she took hold of her fork. Ayano did the same, cutting into the meat with a knife and taking a small bite. She usually always ordered hamburg steak from family restaurants cause it was the one thing she knew would be good no matter where she'd go, but she had to admit that Chitose's food looked pretty good as well.

Chitose took a bite of one of her meatballs before noticing Ayano's continual glance at her plate. She giggled lightly. Ayano was definitely making it unintentionally obvious that she wanted to try some of it. The ponytailed girl tilted her head a bit. "W-What's so funny...?"

"Eheh. If Ayano-chan wanted to try some of my food she could have just asked."

Ayano watched as Chitose speared a piece of meatball with her fork before twirling up a bit of pasta to go along with it, holding it up to her friend. "Here, say 'Aaaaah'..."

A bit of a blush appeared on Ayano's face. Being fed by someone in such a public place sounded somewhat embarrassing to her. Still...the food did look pretty tasty...

"Mn...A-Aaaaah..." She leaned over the table and opened her mouth. Chitose smiled and fed her the forkful. "_Ayano-chan looks so cute! I bet she'd die if Toshino-san offered to feed her like this._"

Ayano was able to get most of it in one bite, quickly slurping up a stray noodle dangling from her lips...and accidently splattering a bit of tomato sauce onto Chitose's glasses.

"Ah! Chitose, I'm sorry about that!"

"Nono, it's fine! A quick cleaning is all they need, no reason to worry." Chitose casually removed her glasses in order to wipe them off, but after a few seconds her vision began to twist and distort; the signs of an impending delusion.

"_Eh?! W-Wait, my fantasies came back?! Are they really back?!_"

Before her eyes, Chitose saw Ayano sitting at a candle-lit table, a single plate of pasta set upon it. Across from her was Kyouko, staring at Ayano seductively. Both girls were blushing slightly, but the smiles on their faces showed that the couple was feeling anything but embarrassed.

Kyouko's eyes glistened as Ayano fidgeted around nervously yet happily. "_Ayano, my love...Let us share this plate of spaghetti as a symbol of our shared passion for one another..._"

"_Toshino Kyouko...Y-You say such embarrassing things sometimes...Such embarrassing, lovely things._"

Chitose was ecstatic. Her delusions had returned after only a few days and it didn't take much to get them back. She let out a sigh of relief as a small trickle of blood ran down from her nose.

"_Here you are, Ayano-chan. A forkful of love, from me to you._"

"_You're such a romantic...Chitose..._"

Chitose's eyes suddenly snapped wide open. That last line didn't sound right. Not at all. She suddenly felt extremely confused. Ayano was taking to Kyouko, wasn't she? So why didn't she use her name? Chitose looked at the fantasy before her again and noticed something about Kyouko was different. She was wearing glasses and her hair was becoming slightly paler. It was as if it was slowly losing its color.

"_It's only natural to act this way when I'm with you, Ayano-chan._" As the fantasy Kyouko spoke, her hair suddenly became shorter, the bow on her head disappeared and finally her eye color changed. Chitose was no longer watching Kyouko romantically feed Ayano. Instead, she was now watching herself feed Ayano.

Chitose was speechless. Her delusions had always been between Ayano and Kyouko. To see herself in such a position instead...It caused her mind to go blank.

"_Why...W-Why is it me?...It's supposed to be Toshino-san, isn't it?...This doesn't-...I-I don't-..._"

"Chitose...? Is everything okay?" Back in reality Ayano tried to get Chitose's attention, but no matter how many times she called her name her friend just kept staring ahead, a concerned look on her face coupled with a small stream of blood running down to her chin.

Ayano looked down at her plate. "_I guess she's occupied in her own world right now...I don't blame her...After trying so hard for me, I have no right to be mad at her for not paying attention..._" She quietly played with what was left of her food as the two sat in silence for the rest of the meal.


	6. Chapter 6

The ring of Yui's intercom echoed through her apartment. One long, continuous, drowning, annoying, ear-splitting-

"Do you seriously have to do that every time?!" Yui yelled at the screen on her remote. Kyouko just grinned and playfully knocked on her head on the other end. The innocent act always got her out of trouble with Yui and this time was no different. With a sigh Yui quickly unlocked the door, her blonde friend swiftly making her way inside before locking back up.

"Just make yourself at home...As if you don't already do that whenever you come here anyway. I'll get some juice."

"Okie-dokie!" Kyouko happily made her way to the living room's table, plopping herself down with a smile. It wasn't long before Yui returned with the drinks, setting them down for the two of them. She felt a slight case of deja vu overcome her. This was the same thing she did when she and Kyouko had their talk about the confession.

Kyouko quickly picked up her cup and took a nice sip, not wasting any time asking questions. "So whatcha invite me over for? That's kinda rare."

"_That's because you always randomly show up on your own..._" Is what Yui instantly wanted to say. Instead she decided not to get thrown off track, focusing more on the reason she asked Kyouko to come over. "I wanted to...uh...t-to talk about things..."

"Things? What kinda things?"

"Y-You should know what kind of things by now!"

Kyouko tilted her head before she finally realized what Yui meant. "OOOOH!"

Her delayed reaction caused Yui to lower her head and sigh deeply, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You're the one who confessed to me, I would have thought you'd instantly know what I was referring to...Honestly..."

"Ehehe. Sorry about that. I just figured that you'd need lots of time to think about love and stuff...I know it's not exactly easy."

Hearing that coming from Kyouko was surprising. No wonder she wasn't getting as hung up on it as Yui was. She was patiently waiting for her answer, acting as if nothing had changed to keep her mind off of things. The more Yui thought about it, the more it fit Kyouko's way of thinking. "So...you were acting all normal and stuff to distract yourself from waiting?"

Kyouko blushed slightly and scratched her cheek. "S-Something like that...I guess...!"

"You didn't want me to feel too pressured about answering quickly. Am I right?"

"Ngh...Y-Yeah..." Knowing that the jig was up, Kyouko began to relax a bit. "It's like you said...It wouldn't be right getting an answer from you that you weren't completely sure of yourself, right? So I didn't want to seem too eager and stuff. I figured just going on normally would help you out. Guess not, huh...?"

Yui couldn't help but smile. Kyouko's heart was always in the right place, even if she didn't show it. "Well, it's not like something like this is easy to keep from being distracting. To tell you the truth, it's been on my mind ever since you told me everything..." She leaned onto the table, gazing up to her ceiling skylight as a few clouds drifted across the otherwise clear blue sky.

"Knowing someone loves you is a really strange feeling. You feel tingly mostly and your heart beats a little faster. I noticed I would get a little hotter and my cheeks would flush, too. It's not exactly something I'm used to feeling..."

Kyouko rubbed her arm, feeling slightly guilty. How Yui would react in a long term sense never really occured to her. Yui continued on. "...But it's not a bad feeling. The more it hit me...the nicer it felt."

"Eh?" Kyouko perked up a bit. "W-Wait, really?"

Yui nodded. "Mmm...The feeling of love is kind of like one big, fuzzy blanket wrapping around you." Her cheeks quickly flushed in embarrassment. "A-As corny or cliche as that sounds..."

While she was expecting Kyouko to probably start snickering at her, the response she got was quite the opposite. Kyouko quickly leaned over the table, almost getting into Yui's face. Her eyes were wide and glistening, her mouth curled up into a big smile. Yui could have sworn she just became pure joy incarnate.

"I KNOW EXACTLY HOW YOU FEEL!" Kyouko quickly took hold of Yui's hands, balling her own around them. "Ever since I started falling for you it's like I end up feeling all warm and fuzzy whenever I think about being with you! It feels like you're there holding me and embracing me and-...Ah...I-I mean...eheh..."

Kyouko finally returned to her senses, realizing she just gushed in front of the person she loved. It was very rare for Kyouko to feel embarrassed, especially in front of Yui. She started fidgeting nervously as she tried to think of what to say next.

"A-Aha! Sorry about that! I guess I just ended up rambling about stuff, but no need to worry! I hardly do that anyway! At least I don't when it doesn't have to with Mirakurun. I could talk about Mirakurun for hours! OH! Like in last night's episode she took Ganbo and-" Before Kyouko could finish trying to change the subject, she felt something soft make contact with her forehead. After taking a moment to re-focus, she realized what it was: Yui's lips. During her nervous babbling she failed to notice Yui lean over the table and plant a kiss on her forehead. Kyouko's face instantly to glow a bright shade of crimson as she scooted back and held her head. She had successfully transformed from a rambling mess to a stuttering one.

"Y-Y-Y-YUI?! W-W-WHY DID YOU-?!"

Yui looked just as surprised as Kyouko, her cheeks still slightly stained with red. "I-I wanted to calm you down and it just happened!...Guess it didn't work..." Yui studied Kyouko for a bit while she dealt with her own fit of confusion. Her flushed face, her almost panicky expression...it reminded her of when they were younger. Back when Kyouko was a lot more fragile, almost helpless. It was her look of distress that made Yui decide that she'd always be there to protect her dear friend. If she were ever hurt or bullied, Yui'd be there for her no matter what...

"Kyouko...Do you remember back when that pink-haired girl tried bullying you in the park when we were little?"

"Y-Yeah?...W-What about it?"

"After all that happened, I promised to myself that I wouldn't let anything bad happen to you." Yui began to inch closer to Kyouko, trying to look as harmless as possible. She was hoping to calm her down the proper way this time. "Seeing you so scared...I didn't want to see you like that again..." After a bit of crawling, she finally kneeled beside the blonde-haired girl. Kyouko still looked a bit nervous. Yui couldn't blame her. Things kinda ended up escalating faster than either of them intended.

Kyouko began to calm down, slowly but surely. At least enough to respond. "S-So why are you bringing that up anyway?"

"Because it slipped my mind as we got older...You matured, after all. Heh...Even if you did become a bit more of a pain in the process." Yui reached over and gently stroked Kyouko's hair, brushing a few disheveled strands out of her face. "You're confident, you're bright and you're cheerful...but even someone like you has helpless moments..." Kyouko couldn't help but fidget a bit more at Yui's words.

"Y-You're talking about what's going on right now when you say that, aren't you...!"

Yui nodded. "It's at times like this when it helps to have someone by your side, right...?"

"Well...yeah..."

"Then...I-I..." Yui took a deep breath, clench her fist, and forced her feelings out. "I wanna be that someone!" Her gaze sharpened, a determined look on her face. Kyouko could tell that Yui meant it as she hardly joked around, but it still ended up catching her completely off-guard. The mixed feeling of shock, surprise and pure happiness had ended up leaving her wide-eyed and speechless. Yui began to sweat a bit. Perhaps she was a bit too direct.

"...K-Kyouko?...Earth to Kyouko?..." Yui grew more and more worried as Kyouko remained still and silent. "_Dammit. Was I too straight forward?...S-She'll snap out of it, right?_" She waved her hand in front of Kyouko's line of sight, hoping i'd be enough to get her attention and snap her out of her trance. It only took a few seconds for her to finally move...and another few seconds for usually energetic girl to flop over limply onto the floor, out like a light. It may have taken a bit to set in, but the shock of Yui confirming her feelings finally overwhelmed her. Yui quickly scrambled over to her side.

"KYOUKO!"

As Chitose was busy trying to figure out the reasoning behind her sudden fantasy changes, Ayano was busy watching her as she followed behind as the two made their way back home. She had spent the entire day with her friend, whose only goal the entire time was to get her to smile and laugh. Whenever she was having trouble, whenever she was feeling down, whenever she needed help, Chitose was always the first person to come to her aid. She was always willing to sacrifice her time to be by her side whenever she was needed...and it made Ayano feel guilty. In the end she was doing exactly what she was trying to avoid since the start of this whole mess; Getting others involved in her problems. Ayano stopped walking as her body tensed up. She felt horrible.

It took a second for Chitose to snap out of it and notice that Ayano was a ways behind her. She quickly turned back to her friend to see what was wrong. "Ayano-chan...?"

Ayano trembled slightly, clenching her fist. "Chitose...I'm sorry..."

Chitose tilted her head. She didn't understand why her friend was suddenly apologizing to her or why she looked so sad. Ayano continued on. "I'm sorry for always causing you trouble. I-I'm always relying on you for everything...Even now the whole reason for today was just for me. It's...i-it's selfish of me!" Tears welled up in her eyes the longer she spoke, her voice cracking from trying to control her outpour of emotion.

"When I needed advice about Toshino Kyouko you were there to give it to me...When nothing ever worked out in my favor you were there to comfort me...and after what happened a few days ago, you still stood by my side without even being asked to...I-I'm always going to you for help and hardly give anything back!...Some kind of friend I am-"

Before Ayano could finish she was suddenly engulfed in a tight hug. Chitose was surprised at how swiftly she had moved to embrace her friend, but what took priority right now was Ayano and only Ayano. That's all that mattered to her...That's all that has ever mattered to her. That's when it hit Chitose; Her changing delusions were the result of what she truly desired. Sacrificing her chances with Ayano just to see her happy with Kyouko...it all made sense now! Protecting Ayano's smile was the closest she could get to protecting the person she loved.

"Ayano-chan...I don't try to make you happy because I need to. I wanted to make you happy all on my own...B-Because Ayano-chan's happiness is all I care about!"

Ayano was speechless. The feeling in Chitose's voice could be heard loud and clear. All she could do was grip onto her shoulder and bury her face into it, trying hard not to let all her tears out at once. Chitose held her tightly, stroking her hair with a warm, comforting smile.

"I've liked you for a while now, Ayano-chan...but after seeing you try so hard to get Toshino-san's attention and win her over...Even though I would have liked to be with you, I knew I should still help you achieve your goal. If the person I like is happy then I'm sure I'd be happy, too..."

"But that doesn't make it okay!" Ayano gripped onto her tighter as she spoke. "Being forced to watch me try to win someone over...even helping me out with everything...No matter how much you smile about it, it must have still been painful for you!"

Chitose couldn't deny that. As much as she tried to put on a brave face, it still wasn't enough to keep her from feeling sad sometimes whenever she'd see Ayano and Kyouko spending time together. However, knowing just how much of this Ayano realized did put her at ease.  
"It did hurt a little bit...but knowing that Ayano-chan was trying her hardest for someone she loved made me want to try harder to support you... I guess I can be too nice for my own good sometimes, huh?"

Ayano sniffled as she raised her head up. Her eyes slightly reddened from the tears. "Chitose..."

"It's okay now, though. Knowing that you care that much about my well-being is really all I need."

"No, Chitose. It's not okay..." Ayano slowly let go of her friend, wiping her eyes of any lingering wetness. "You do nice things and never expect anything in return..." She cleared her throat, trying to sound more official despite her earlier breakdown. "A-As the Student Council Vice President and your superior I can't let that go unnoticed!"

Ayano's response took Chitose completely off-guard. She wasn't exactly sure how she should respond to such a serious outburst. A small but comical bead of sweat trickled down her forehead.

"U-Um...What...exactly do you mean?"

"I mean...I-I mean it's about time I repay you. I want to make you as happy as you've helped make me..."

"Ayano-chan...Y-You're serious?"

"PLEASE!" Ayano bowed deeply in response, a physical plea to her friend to allow her to do what she asked. Chitose was caught even more off-guard. She couldn't see how serious Ayano's face was. The ponytailed girl's face was red, her eyes clenched shut and awaiting a response.

"Well...If Ayano-chan is sure...then who am I to stop her?"

"...Huh? Really?" Ayano didn't expect her to be so compromising. Not even a hint of resistance.

"Of course. I have no right to stand in the way of your desires. I haven't before...and I won't now."

"Chitose..." The smile that Ayano put on was perhaps the first true smile that she wore in the past few days. She began to tear up again as she bowed once more, smiling as a few drops fell to sidewalk. "Thank you! I promise you I'll give you the happiness you deserve-deserve-Denmark!"

Chitose couldn't help but laugh. The assertiveness, the flustered behaviour, the puns, they were all the real thing. Ayano finally sounded like she was back to being herself. It was a hard-fought battle, but it had paid off in the end. She reached over and placed her hand on Ayano's shoulder, smiling warmly.

"That sounds more like the Ayano-chan I love."

Ayano finally stood back up, tall and proud. All she could do was smile brightly as she wiped her eyes clean of whatever sadness still remained. "Ehehe..."


	7. Chapter 7

A few days had passed and the long, droning buzz of the intercom once again filled Yui's apartment. Letting out an annoyed groan as she buttoned up her uniform, she quickly grabbed her bag and headed to the door. It was obvious who the culprit was as she opened up.

"Now you're just doing it because you like annoying me, aren't you." She said to Kyouko, who was once again standing on her doorstep and grinning like a mischievous child. She couldn't help but drape herself over Yui's shoulder as she turned to lock her front door.

"I can't help it!" She poked Yui's cheek with a giggle. "You're cute when you're flustered, y'know."

"Only you'd go so far as to exploit something like that..." Yui sighed as she turned back around, Kyouko's arms falling off her shoulders. "If you're all ready, we should go before we're late." With that, Yui started to walk ahead.

"Boooo..." Kyouko quickly trotted after her until she was matching her pace. "Yui-nyan never wants to act cute for me..." Her cheeks bloated out as she puckered up her lips in a pout. Yui smirked. "So you want me to act cute, huh? How about you do the normal thing and ask first?"

"Eh?...Well, fine then! Yui, I want you to act cute for me!"

"...That was more of a demand...but sure." Right on cue, Yui leaned over and gave Kyouko a kiss on the cheek before giving a small but sweet smile to top it off. Kyouko's face brightened with redness as she staggered a bit behind. Yui started chuckling, causing Kyouko to redden even more. "I-I had my guard down, that's no fair!"

"All's fair in love and war, Kyouko."

"We aren't even at war!"

"No...but we are in love, right?"

"Ngh...W-Well...yeah..." Kyouko began to fidget about slightly before Yui took her by the hand, slowing down to match her pace. She gripped it tightly to help Kyouko calm back down.

"Jeez, ever since our little talk you've been acting so sensitive when it comes to being together..." Yui smiled again. "Are you sure you're the same girl that confessed to me out of the blue?"

"Guh...S-Sorry..." Kyouko scratched the back of her head and grinned as best she could. "It's still kinda weird...I mean it's not like I expected to be with you like this so soon, y'know?"

"Do you regret it?"

"O-Of course not! I really love you, Yui! A whole lot, even! There's no way I'd regret it!" The determined look on Kyouko's blushing face was more than enough confirmation for Yui. She didn't regret coming to terms with her feelings, either. Kyouko's happiness was her happiness. It's been that way ever since they were young and now that they were together Yui knew that it would continue on for a good while to come. Finally feeling energized enough to get the morning started, she tugged Kyouko along at a bit of a faster pace.

"Any plans for when we go to the clubroom later, Kyouko?"

Kyouko thought for a moment before smiling brightly at her best friend turned girlfriend.

"We'll do what we always do, of course. Have fun together as a club!"

As they exited Yui's building, Kyouko happily ran off ahead before waving back.

"Come on, Yui! we still have the whole day ahead of us!"

"_Heh...That's my girl._" Yui had never felt happier. While relationships between her and Kyouko had developed in a new direction, things still felt familiar. A warm and comforting feeling washed over her as she took off after Kyouko. It was the start of a new journey.

Meanwhile at school, Ayano stood before Kyouko's shoe locker. She took one last look at the letter she held in her hand. The past few days had been quite the eye-opening experience for her. She smiled to herself. To think that something as simple as a letter like the one she was holding ended up being the cause of all of this. Ayano carefully slipped the letter through the slit on the front of the locker's door, making sure it didn't snag or crease on the way in. As she finished her task, Chitose peeked her head out from around the near corner. She smiled warmly.

"Ayano-chan, we still have some time. Why don't we do a little reorganizing in the Student Council room?"

Ayano nodded and quickly made her way over to Chitose's side. "Sounds good to me. Shall we?"

The girls began to make their way through the halls, ready to start a new school day. Ayano couldn't help but glance back at the the row of shoe lockers for a second. The words in her letter still fresh in her mind...

"_Toshino Kyouko,_

_You're impulsive, brash, lazy, childish and you never take responsibility when it comes to doing hard work._

_And yet I still ended up falling in love with you..._

_Since we first became classmates there was something about you that just captivated me. Your cheerful attitude, your bright eyes, your smile. The type of person others wanted to be around. The person I wanted to always be around. I loved that about you. I tried to think of some way to tell you how I felt, but every time I tried...well, I guess things just didn't want to go in my favor._

_If I were quicker, maybe I would have realized that writing a letter like this would have worked the best. Unfortunately I was too late for that...but that's okay. When I see you and Funami-san together now, instead of feeling pain or sadness like I did before, I feel happy. Happy that the girl I loved is with the person she wanted to be with._

_Knowing you, you'll probably be worried about me after you read this._

_Don't be an idiot!_

_If I say I'm happy then I'm happy. In fact I'm happier than I've ever been. The only thing I want right now is for us to enjoy where we're at. Enjoy your time with Funami-san and I'll enjoy my time with the person I truly care about, got it? And believe me when I say that nothing will ever change our current relationship._

_We're still good friends, after all._

_ I'll see you in class,_

_ Sugiura Ayano_"

She returned her attention to where she knew it mattered most; Chitose. The two girls began to happily chat about all sorts of things as Ayano took hold of Chitose's hand. She squeezed it firmly...knowing things were going to be okay from here on out.

"_P.S._  
_You, me, Chitose and Funami-san are scheduled for cleaning duty after school today. No skipping out, got it?!_"


End file.
